Method and means of watch regulation



March 3, 1931. v U JR 1,794,502

METHOD AND MEANS OF WATCH REGULATION Filed Aug. 2, 1929 20/ STANDARD INDICATOR INDICATOR [III/en to EDWIN E Tum/vs)? JR. -By

' Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWIN E. TURNER, JR., OF WEST ROXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SUB- MARINE SIGNAL COMPANY, OF'BOSTON,

MAINE MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF METBOD AND MEANS OF WATCH REGULATION Original application filed September 20,

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 220,719, filed September 20, 1927, and relates in par ticular to the system and method described K in the specification in connection with Figure- 2 therein.

The present invention relates to the means and method of controlling the restoration of a relay circuit of the general type herein shown, as well as the types of circuits shown in my copending United States patent application Serial No. 200,086, filed June 20, 1927. In my application just referred to, the circuit of the last tube is restored to normal, preopcrating condition by the fact that the grid return is connected to the positive side of the filament and that after the phenomenon has passed the grid assumes the ositive potential of the positive side of t e filament.

Since this is substantially instantaneous, the

circuit is brou ht back'to normal condition immediatel a er operation.- In the modification of igure 3, the circuit is restored to normal condition by operation of the .switch 25, which brings the potential of the grid to that of the filament. Y

1 The present invention is'chiefly concerned with the regulation or the restoration of the circuit to normal conditions automatically..

but not instantaneously.

Not only is it possible to adjust the interval between operation and restoration to any desired value, but it is also possible, by the methods of the present invention, to vary this interval by proper controlling devices. If for instance, it circuit remain inoperative for one second, certain electrical constants may be so adjusted, as will be explained later, as to accomplish this result. A device of this nature is particularly useful in recording sound phe-' nomena which are followed by other phenomena not desired and which, therefore, are eliminated by making the circuit .remain inoperative during the necessary interval to exclude the undesired phenomena.

Another useful ihrpose to which the present invention ma of a time interva I the values of the constants of the restoration circuitare known is desired to insure that the.

eut is the measurement.

1927, Serial No. 220,719. Divided and this application flied. August 2, 1929. Serial No. 383,024.

relative to the time interval, then the interval between two operations of the circuit occurring directly at the beginning and at the restoration of the circuit can be measured by the constants of the circuit. a

The invention will be described with reference to the drawing, in which: a

Figure 1 shows schematically the circuit of the present system;

Figure 2, the application of the circuit to a time regulating system; and

Figure 3, the application of the circuit to the measurement of distance.

In Figure 1, 1 is a sound or other receiver capable of receiving an impulse or the signal for operating the relay 12 of the output circuit 13. In place of the relay in the output circuit, the impulse or the signal in the transformer winding 11 may be made to operate any kind of indicating circuit which may be desired, as, for instance, a discharge tube such as indicated in my co ending application Serial No. 220,719, led September 20, 1927, mentioned above.

The impulse from the receiver 1 may be put through a filter or an amplifier 2 and thereafter impressed upon the time control circuit by means of the transformer 3, the secondary of whlch is connected to the grid of the va'cuumtube 7. The grid of the vacuum tube 7 is V normally maintained at a negative potential by means of the'battery4 and theresistance 5 across the filament leads, which arrangement allows an adjustment of the otential upon the grid of the tube 7 within the range of the voltage used for the filaments.

The plate ofgthe tube 7 is maintained at a potential posltive with respect to the filament by means of the battery 6, which has its positive side connected to the plate and its negative side connected through the resistance 9 to the filament of the tube 7. shunt with the resistance 9 is a condenser 10, the operation of a little later. The 7 is coupled to the tu lead 18 connecting from the upper resistance 9 to the grid of the tube ment battery between the plate circuit of the tube e 8 by means of the gdd end 0 the 8. Afilawhich will be explained 5 of necessary power is indicated tape 14 and 15 and is used 9 plate of that tube.

supply the filaments with heating current -increase and thereby, since the current in the outer circuit is thought of as flowing from filament to plate, the point A will increase in potential with respect to the point B. As for the 'point B, it will be negative with respectto the point A and the tendency in tube 8 will be for the grid to prevent the flow of electrons from the filament to the As shown in my copending application mentioned before, this effect may be ade so rapid that thecurrent will be shargly broken in the plate circuit of the tube 8. This sharp interruption of the plate filament current of the tube is readily useable for the operation of any desired signal or indicator.

As has been stated in the copending a plication, however, when such circuit has een used it has not restored itself automatically to normal conditions; but in the present in-' vention, by the use of the condenser 10 and an extremely high resistance 9, it is possible to control the restoration ofthe circuit-by suitably selecting the time constant due to the presence ofresistance and capacity in-the circuit. The operation of the circuit of the first vacuum tube causes an increase insits plate current and therefore an increase in potential between the points A and B in Figure 1. The condenser 10, which has its charge thereby increased, remains charged until the potential between the points A and B has again dropped after the phenomenom has passed and coil 11 has been energized. When this has occurred the charge upon the condenser 10 begins to leak OE and discharge through the resistance 9, thus allowing the point B to return to its normal, preoperating condition with respect to the point A. The rate of discharge of the condenser 10 through the resistance 9 controls the period of restoration of the circuit.

, and prevent any; furt er operation until it is restored to normal conditionsby means of the condenser and resistance, which may be adjusted for practically any desired time 1nterval. r

In Fi ure 2 is shown an application of the circuit or the method of measuring the accuracy of a timing mechanism, such as a watch or clock, against a given standard.

A standard clock or chronometer is indicated at 20 and the watch to be tested at 21.

Individual microphones 22 and 23, associated respectively with the standard and the watch to be tested, are connected in circuit with the transformers 24 and 25 forming the input to the time control circuit of the same type as indicated in Figure 1, with the exception that the condenser 10 and the resistance 9 are variable and adjustable. Also, in addition to the. relay coil 11 and the relay 12, an indicator 26 is shown, as well as switches 27 and 28, the former for operating the circuit in connection with the coil 11 and the relay 12 and the latter for operating a neon or discharge tube 29 through the transformer 30.

The method of operation of the circuit in Figure 2 is as follows: The microphone 22' is placed over the standard time piece and the ticks are transmitted from the time piece through the circuit either to the neon tube or the indicator, either causing a flash of the former or some sort of anindication in the indicator. The ticks of the standard will therefore be repeated in the same uniform interval. The watch to be compared, 21 in Figure 2, will then-be placed beneath the microphone 23. Presumably the ticks of the standard and thewatch will be out of phase and follow one another with some definite interval between, which interval will grad 'ually change if the watch to be adjusted is not going properly. The condenser 10 and the resistance 9 are therefore adjusted to the point which will just allow the ticks of both the standard and the watch 21 to come through to the indicator. If, now, after a short time, only one tick comes through, it is evident that the time interval between the ticks of the standard and the watch 21 has decreased.

A second adjustment may again be made and, knowing the calibration of the condenser and resistance for the equivalent time interval, the loss or gain of the watch over the period is easily determined. If the interval increases so that both ticks continue to appear, a second adjustment can still be made to the point where both ticks will just appear. This increased time interval will also give a measure of the change of the watch with respect to the standard. If, of course, the interval continues to remainthe same, the watch 21 and the standard are going alike.

It will be readily understood that if the time interval from the ticking of the standard to that of the watch is increasing, the complimentary time interval from the tick of the watch to that of the standard is decreasing, and that if it is desired in the measurement and adjustment to have one tick disappear, the observation can always be made on the decreasing time interval. In this manner, instead of waiting a long time, days for instance, to determine the rate of change of a watch with a standard, it may be made much quicker with accuracy.

Another important use of the present invention is in connection with the determination of distance by sound and electro-magnetic waves. In Figure 3 is shown such an arrangement. &

Simultaneous signals are sent out by the radio antenna 40 and the submarine oscillator 31 by means of the earns 32 and 33 respectively operating in synchronism to connect the generator 34 therewith. The signals are received on the receiving antenna 35 and the hydrophone 36, the radio signal on the former and the submarine on the latter. The radio signal is transmitted, through the transformer 37, to the time control circuit, and the'submarine signal through the transformer '38 to the same circuit.

An adjustable impedance 39, in place of the condenser and resistance of Figures 1 and 2, is provided for measuring the time interval between'the receipt of the radio and the sub- 4 marine signals. This impedance may be calibrated in units of distance as shown in Figure 3.

The measurement may be made either by adjusting the impedance 39 until the submarine signal disappears or by adjusting the impedance until it just appears. A. good method to follow is to make the measurement ifi both ways and then take a mean value for the distance.

Having now described my invention, I claim: a

1. A method of determining the adjustment necessary in watch regulation which comprises comparing the periodic interval be-i tween successive ticks of the watch to be adjusted with a standard by impressing the ticks of the watch and the standard as signals on an indicatingcircuit having a definite .and adjustable time interval necessary for the recovery of the circuit after its operation, adjusting the time interval so that both the watch and the standard will produce indications, causing the disappearance of one indication and measuring the regulation necessary by the magnitude of a readjustment necessary to produce both indications again.

a 2. A method of determining the adjustment necessary in' watch regulation which comprises comparing the periodic interval between successive ticks of the watch to be adjusted with a standard by impressing the ticks 1 of the watch and the standard as signals on an indicating circuit having a definite and adjustable time interval necessary for the recovery of the circuit after its operation, adjusting the time interval so that both the s' a watch and the standard will produce indications and measuring by adjustment of time interval required for the clrcuit to recover,

the interval between the tick of the standard and the watch to be regulated,

3. In a system for determining the adjustment necessary to be made on a watch by comparison with a standard, a plurality of microphones for picking up the sound of the ticks of the watch and the standard, an indicating circuit, means for impressing the signal of said ticks on said circuit, an indicator operable by' said signals, and means included in said circuit for adjusting the time of recovery of the circuit after operation by the signal.

' 4;. In a system for determinmg the adjustment necessary to be made on a watch by comparison with a standard, a plurality of microphones positioned to receive the sound of the tick of the watch and the standard of comparison, an indicating circuit, means for imipressing said sound upon said indicating circuit, an indicator operable by said circuit by the sound ticks impressed thereon, and means included in said circuit for making said circuit inoperative for a definite time interval after its operation, and means for varying said interval.

5. In. a system for determining the adjustment necessary to be made on a watch by comparison with a standard, a plurality of microphones positioned to receive the sound of the tick of the watch and the standard of comparison, an indicating circuit, means for impressing said sound upon said indicating circuit, an indicator operable by said circuit by the sound ticks impressed thereon, and means included in said circuit for making said circuit inoperative for a definite time interval after its 0 eration.

6; A method 0 determining the timing'adjustment necessary on a watch which comprises comparing the time interval between successive ticks of the watch and a standard, measuring this time interval by the adjustment of the time of recovery of an electrical circuit upon which the sounds of both watch and standard are impressed after its operation by either of the sounds.

In testimon whereof I aflix my signature.

' DWIN E.-TURNE'R, JR. 

